WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY POLICY

This policy was adopted on: Oct 2015

This policy was reviewed on: Jan 2017

The policy will next be reviewed on: Jan 2018


DURRINGTON INFANT & JUNIOR FEDERATED SCHOOLS

WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY POLICY

Statement of disability awareness

We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, medical condition, attainment and background. The school will ensure that all children have access to a balanced and broadly based curriculum, which is flexible enough to ensure that every child’s needs are met, so that they can be fully included in all aspects of school life.

We will strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination, and to develop an environment where all members of the school community can flourish and feel safe.

Durrington Infant and Junior Federated Schools are committed to providing a full and efficient education to all pupils and embraces the concept of equal opportunities for all.

Code of Conduct

School plays a central role in the children’s social and emotional development, and our attendance policy will support in ensuring an inclusive environment. Adults have an important responsibility to model high expectations of attendance at all times. In school we work towards standards of attendance that are directly linked to our school’s values, vision and mission statement:

Values

Together we...

Love learning

Have fun

Care and respect

Never give up

Succeed

Vision

Working together to succeed.

Mission Statement

At Durrington Infant and Junior School we promise to create a happy, secure and stimulating learning environment in which all members of the school are encouraged and supported to succeed.

We will develop a love of learning in children and adults which is inspired by a creative curriculum and quality teaching.

We will work together to challenge, inspire and motivate all children to become independent, confident and caring citizens.

For a child to reach their full educational achievement a high level of school attendance is essential. We will consistently work towards a goal of 100% attendance for all children. Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance.

School attendance is subject to various Education laws and this school attendance policy is written to reflect these laws and the guidance produced by the DfE.

The Government says:
 There is a legal responsibility for you to send your child to school every day.
 Your child should be in school for at least 96% of all sessions.
 School is in session for 190 days a year leaving parents a further 175 days a year in which to have days out together and take a holiday.
Key Principles
It is vital that parents/carers and schools work together. We follow the West Sussex guidance which sets out the following principles:
 All registered pupils should attend school regularly and punctually.
 All children, irrespective of individual circumstances, should have an equal opportunity to attend school regularly.
 The school and the Local Authority, together with any external agencies, will work together with the parents or carers for the best interests of pupils.
 The school’s expectations of regular attendance will be made clear from the outset.
 Where necessary, intervention and enforcement measures will be taken, especially with regard to unauthorised absences and lateness.

Each year the school will examine its attendance figures and set attendance/absence targets. These will reflect both national and local attendance targets.

The school will review its systems for improving attendance at regular intervals to ensure that it is achieving its set goals.

This policy will contain within it the procedures that the school will use to meet its attendance targets.

School Procedures

Registration Procedures

School gates will be open from 8:30am. At 8:45am when a bell is rung, children should make their own way to their classroom where their teacher will be waiting.

Class teachers register pupils in the morning at 8:55am and in the afternoon at 1:00pm (infant school) / 1:10pm (junior school).

Parents/carers of pupils who arrive after 8.55am should report to the office straight away to sign the late book and provide a reason for lateness. Pupils should collect a late card to give to their teacher. Office staff will enter a late mark on to the register with the time and reason for lateness.

The reason for these procedures is the safety of our children, especially in the case of an emergency.

The registration system

The School will use a computerised system for keeping the school attendance records.

The following national codes will be used to record attendance information.

CODE / DESCRIPTION / MEANING
/ / Present (AM) / Present
\ / Present (PM) / Present
B / Educated off site (NOT Dual registration) / Approved Education Activity
C / Other Authorised Circumstances (not covered by another appropriate code/description) / Authorised absence
D / Dual registration (i.e. pupil attending other establishment) / Approved Education Activity
E / Excluded (no alternative provision made) / Authorised absence
F / Extended family holiday (agreed) / Authorised absence
G / Family holiday (NOT agreed or days in excess of agreement) / Unauthorised absence
H / Family holiday (agreed) / Authorised absence
I / Illness (NOT medical or dental etc. appointments) / Authorised absence
J / Interview / Approved Education Activity
L / Late (before registers closed) / Present
M / Medical/Dental appointments / Authorised absence
N / No reason yet provided for absence / Unauthorised absence
O / Unauthorised absence (not covered by any other code/description) / Unauthorised absence
P / Approved sporting activity / Approved Education Activity
R / Religious observance / Authorised absence
S / Study leave / Authorised absence
T / Traveller absence / Authorised absence
U / Late (after registers closed) / Unauthorised absence
V / Educational visit or trip / Approved Education Activity
W / Work experience / Approved Education Activity
X / Untimetabled sessions for non-compulsory school-age pupils / Not counted in possible attendances
Y / Enforced closure / Not counted in possible attendances
Z / Pupil not yet on roll / Not counted in possible attendances
# / School closed to pupils / Not counted in possible attendances

Registers by law must be kept for at least 3 years.

Entries in paper registers must be in ink.

All corrections must be visible (no correcting fluid)

Monitoring Attendance

Information from the school database is used to monitor attendance. Patterns of absence or lateness or other concerns are shared with the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team, who regularly visit the school to check attendance records and discuss any problems. If there is a serious concern about a child’s attendance, the Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral) will notify parents/carers. If this is not successful, then school will consider a referral to the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team which may lead to legal intervention.

Recording of Absence

By Law, parents/carers must inform school office staff, preferably before 9:00am, of the reason for their child’s absence.

All pupils that arrive at school after the register closes will be marked as absent, missing the morning session, and receive an unauthorised absence.

From 9:30am, if parents have not contacted the school, the office staff will endeavour to contact a pupil’s parents/carers with a text message to ascertain the reason for the pupil’s absence.

Even where contact has been made and a reason for the absence has been obtained, this does not automatically mean that authorisation has been given. By law only the school can authorise an absence. A written note or telephone explanation by a parent/carer does not, in itself, oblige the head teacher to authorise the absence. If contact has not been made or no reason has been given for absence an unauthorised absence mark will be recorded in the register.

The school will authorise the first 10 sessions (or 5 days) of absence without medical proof, but on the 11th session school will contact you with a letter to let you know that your child has reached the 5 days of absence and therefore requires proof of illness. This can be in the form of a doctor’s note; appointment card; or proof of prescription.

Unauthorised absences may lead to attendance meetings in school. If this is not successful the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team may consider issuing a Penalty Notice, which could result in prosecution.

Persistent Lateness

If a pupil is late for six sessions across a half term period, they will be asked to complete some additional work as a form of catch up. A mutually convenient time will be organised between the school and parents/carers for the pupil to accomplish this.

Failure to adhere to agreed targets may result in the referral to the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team and the issuing of a Penalty Notice (see appendix 1 for more information), and this could lead to a possible referral to the Local Authority for Court proceedings.

Frequent Absence

It is the responsibility of the Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral) to be aware of and bring attention to, any emerging attendance concerns.

In cases where a pupil begins to develop a pattern of absences, the school will try to resolve the problem with the parent/s. If this is unsuccessful the school will refer to the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team.

Attendance and Punctuality Meetings

As a mark of good practice each time a pupil is absent without reason the school will make every effort to contact the parents/carers to ascertain the reason why. Any pupil whose punctuality or attendance is causing concern will be asked to a school meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to see what help can be offered so that parents/carers and school are working in partnership to improve attendance and punctuality, and to provide support where needed.

Failure to improve punctuality, attendance, or to attend the initial school meeting will lead to a referral to the Pupil Entitlement Investigation Team and could lead to the issuing of a Penalty Notice (see Appendix 1 for guidance).

Parenting Contract

These are used where attendance is a persistent concern. Parents/Carers meet with the Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral) to agree strategies and set targets to rapidly improve attendance. This is monitored both informally and formally across each term until attendance is 96% or above (see Appendix 2 and 3 for more information).

Accelerating Attendance Programme

This is a school devised programme where children receive weekly stickers for 100% attendance. When six are achieved, pupils and parents are invited to a celebratory tea party.

A Welcome Back

It is important that on return from an absence that all pupils are made to feel welcome. This should include ensuring that the pupil is helped to catch up on missed work and brought up to date on any information that has been passed to the other pupils.

Absence notes

Notes received from parents explaining absence should be kept for the remainder of the academic year. If there are attendance concerns about the pupil, that may require further investigation, then the notes may need to be retained for a longer period.

Promoting attendance

The school will use opportunities as they arise to remind parents/carers, that it is their responsibility

to ensure that their children receive their education.

Holidays in term time

From September 2013 the Law changed to say: ‘Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances, for example, ‘a sudden, unexpected, severe incident relating to a family member (e.g. sudden severe illness), however it is expected that parents supply evidence of the situation to the school on their return.’

Parents/carers taking children out of school for holidays of more than 5 days will be issued with a Penalty Notice.

If parents/carers need special leave it is important that they fill in a ‘Request for Leave’ form and make an appointment to see the Attendance Officer. This will need to be done before any arrangements are made to travel.

If parents/carers take unauthorised holidays, or take longer than the time agreed, they will receive a Penalty Notice.

Any absence taken immediately before and/or after a school holiday needs to be

supported by medical evidence; otherwise a Penalty Notice will be issued.

The penalty is £60 per child, per parent if paid within 28 days of receipt rising to £120 if paid after 28 days but within 42 days. There is no right of appeal by parents against a penalty notice. If the penalty is not paid in full by the end of the 42 day period the local authority will decide whether to prosecute for the original offence of poor school attendance which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a parenting order or community service.

For more information on Fixed Penalty Notices, please follow this link: Fixed Term Penalty Notices

Religious Observance

Religious Observance is exclusively set apart by the parent/carer’s religious body, not the parents/carers. A ‘Request For Leave’ form will need to be completed in these instances.’

For further information, please see our leaflet on ‘Attendance Matters’. This is available to read on the school’s website and from the school office.

Attendance Awards

The school will use the following system to reward pupils who have good or improving attendance:

Whole class:

Each week in our Gold Smiley assembly (infant school) and Celebration assembly (junior school), the class with the highest attendance is awarded with a class certificate and class cup to display in their classroom for the following week. Class attendance is monitored across the year and displayed in the form of a pictogram for the children to see, and the class with the highest attendance across the year is rewarded with a class prize. In addition, the classes who achieve 100% attendance on fifteen occasions receive a class prize.

Individual attendance:

Termly bronze, silver and gold certificates are awarded for the appropriate attendance.

Pupils achieving gold certificates also receive a reward.

100% attendance ceremonies are held at Durrington High School each year, and those pupils achieving 100% will be invited with their parents to attend. These awards run for each academic year.